John Walsh reports

Last updated 12:39, Monday, 27 October 2008

Workington Comets 58 Berwick Bandits 34: Workington Comets have one hand on their first seven-man trophy – but know they need to finish the job on Wednesday night.

Comets celebrate after their first leg success: left to right, Charles Wright, Tomi Reima, Joe Haines, John Branney, Carl Stonehewer (captain) and guest Tomas Topinka

A 24-point lead from last night’s match at Derwent Park was more than team manager Ian Thomas was hoping for, but he’s been in the game long enough to know it’s not all over.

The outcome of the Young Shield should have been settled at Derwent Park but now it’s Shielfield in mid-week where the destiny of the trophy will be decided following Saturday’s rain-off.

“I was looking for 20 points to take with us to Berwick for Wednesday’s return so I’m well-pleased with the bonus of four more.

“I would think we have to be favourites with that sort of advantage but you never know and we will be looking for the same whole-hearted display from our riders,” said Thomas.

The Comets produced a solid, workmanlike performance throughout the team which saw four of the riders in double figures and both reserves notching ten points between them.

It was the kind of all-round contributions that the Comets desperately needed with the second leg away from home.

When your top four riders on the card – Tomas Topinka (11), Charles Wright (10), Joe Haines (13) and Carl Stonehewer (14) make double figures you know you’re in with a chance.

They won 11 of the 15 races between them and with only three last places, and no retirements, throughout the meeting Workington were well-positioned to build-up a healthy first leg lead.

Top-scorer Stonehewer has had a new lease of life in the Young Shield, responding well to the responsibility of being captain again during Kauko Nieminen’s enforced absence.

It was his six-ride maximum last week that played a major part in putting the Comets into the final and he followed-up with another workmanlike 14 points, top-scoring again for his side.

There were three wins for the senior member of the Workington side although one of them was rather fortuitous. Tai Woffinden, the Berwick guest won the race but after taking the chequered flag was immediately excluded for racing without a dirt deflector.

That was in heart eleven and Woffinden, dubbed the golden boy of British speedway, got his revenge by beating Stoney in heats 13 and 15 – but both were shared points and did not help the Bandits cut into the home lead.

Neither, too, did the tactical changes – especially the tactical substitution in heat nine when Woffinden was asked to off 15 metres against Topinka and Haines.

It was a thankless task for the Rye House teenager and although he closed-up on Haines he was unable to get past him and the 5-1 to Comets was a slap in the face for Bandits team manager Peter Waite.

Michal Makovsky took the tactical ride in heat 12 and was partly responsible for the pile-up soon after the start which resulted in a delay while John Branney received attention for an arm injury.

On the re-run Haines broke superbly and Makovsky was only able to get ahead of Branney top earn his side four points, but in a share of the spoils.

That gritty determination to get back in the saddle after suffering the arm injury – allied to the two seconds he had scored earlier earned Branney the J. Edgar and son rider of the night award.

His points might have not been as eye-catching as some of his team-mates but it was that disregard for personal injury, his willingness to get on with the job, which earned him the award.

Haines was probably the star of the show on the night, and he would have gone in the last race of the night had he not shattered an engine shortly after crossing the line after winning the penultimate heat.

He was consistently one of the fastest riders around the track, reeled off three wins and two seconds in his five appearances and scored psychological pluses by beating Woffinden in two races.

The pair go head-to head at Scunthorpe tonight in the Under-18’s Championship and they will be regarded as first and second favourites for the title.

Topinka was not as dominant as he has been in recent guest appearances but still had three wins on the card.

He was muscled-out of it in a rough first bend in the opening heat and was virtually out of the race from that point. He missed the gate in heats 13 and 15 but got in for third place both times to ensure Workington achieved a share of the spoils.

There were also two wins for second string Charles Wright who has been a revelation recently. This was his 20th birthday and he celebrated with a double figure score (10) and some positive riding which underlined his growing maturity in the Comets colours.

The Young Shield isn’t on the sideboard yet but it will take an inspired Berwick performance on Wednesday to take it away from them.

MATCH FACTS

Workington Comets 58: Tomas Topinka 11; Charles Wright 10; rider replacement for Kauko Nieminen; Joe Haines 13; Carl Stonehewer 14; Tomi Reima 5; John Branney 5.

Berwick Bandits 34: Tai Woffinden 11; Lee Dicken 4; Michal Makovsky 11; rider replacement for Tero Aarnio; Paul Clews 0; Guglielmo Franchetti 5; Scott Smith 3.

HEAT BY HEAT

Heat 1: Wright, Woffinden, Dicken, Topinka 3-3 (67.8)

Heat 2: Re run: Franchetti, Reima, Smith, Branney 5-7 (69.5)

Heat 3: Makovsky, Haines, Stonehewer, Dicken 8-10 (69.7)

Heat 4: Stonehewer, Branney, Smith, Clews (f) 13-11 (69.6)

Heat 5: Haines, Woffinden, Wright, Dicken 17-13 (67.7)

Heat 6: Topinka, Wright, Franchetti, Clews 22-14 (68.9)

Heat 7: Stonehewer, Makovsky, Smith, Reima 25-17 (69.2)

Heat 8: Wright, Branney, Dicken, Franchetti 30-18 (68.8)

Heat 9: Topinka, Haines, Woffinden (ts) Clews 35-19 (67.8)

Heat 10: Topinka, Makovsky, Wright, Franchetti 39-21 (68.0)

Heat 11: Stonehewer, Dicken, Reima, Woffinden (ex) 43-23 (70.5)

Heat 12 Re run: Haines, Makovsky (tr), Branney, Franchetti. 47-27 (68.1)

Heat 13: Woffinden, Stonehewer, Topinka, Clews 50-30 (68.9)